Past Lives
by dbzchiksrule
Summary: Have you ever wondered what happened to #17 & #18 before Dr Gero turned them into androids? Their normal human life? Read to find out. ~*COMPLETED*~!!!!!!!!
1. Beginnings

Author's Notes: Before Dr Gero modified them, Androids #17 and #18 were normal humans (yes, that is true in the show, I'm not just making it up). This is the story of their normal life as brother and sister, and how Dr Gero got his hands on them.   
Read on...  
NOTE: Just in case you can't guess, 'Jessica' is #18 and 'Nathan' is #17. I know, I know, they're not very Japanese names, but I don't care. :P  
*****  
Past Lives  
  
"Hey Sis, Check this out!" Called Nathan excitedly. Jessica gave a long-suffering sigh, got up from the couch where she was watching TV and walked over to him. He was on the computer, surfing the net. Filling the screen was a picture of a big, red, shiny Ferrari. Nathan was practically drooling over it.  
"That's amaaaazing, Nat." she drawled sarcastically. He chose to ignore her comment.  
"Ah, what I would give to have one of those!" He said dreamily, leaning back in his seat with his hands behind his head. He had a far away look in his eyes as he said  
"Just think of the chicks it could attract!" Jessica snorted in good-humoured disgust, then said  
"Well I suppose you would need SOMEthing attractive about you." She teased. Nathan just rolled his eyes. To change the topic, he said  
"I'm bored, let's go work out at the youth centre."  
"Can't," Jess replied, "I'm going shopping with some girlfriends." Now it was Nathan's turn to be disgusted.  
"Well then, what about tomorrow?"  
"Deal."  
*****  
Jessica and Nathan were twins, inseparable from birth. Even though they teased each other regularly, they had a very firm friendship. Both were very good at martial arts, although they knew nothing about controlling their ki. They had lessons in fighting, and they practiced against each other in their local youth centre, which contained a gym, an indoor pool and some places to buy food and drink. They both attended the same school and were in year 12.  
It was their first day back at school. Nathan had got a lift in his mate's car, but Jessica told him that 'she would rather catch the bus than be seen driving around the streets with those losers'. So she did.  
The bus was crowded. Jess glanced with distaste at a group of rude, loud bullies up the front of the bus. [I know those kind of people usually sit up the back, but just use your imagination =)]. As she had got on the bus, they had looked at her silky blonde hair and cool blue eyes, and immediately sprouted phrases such as 'Hey, hot stuff!" "Why don't you come sit over here, babe?" She had just given them a disdainful look and continued to her seat. Now she was thinking, 'I may as well have gotten a lift with Nathan'.  
The bus reached the school. With relief, Jess started walking down the bus isle to the front. Just as she neared the door, one of the hoons stepped into the isle in front of her, blocking her way.   
"Where ya going, sugar?" he asked with a sickening smile. Jess knew she could have beaten him up easily. She stifled an exasperated sigh and just stood there, waiting for him to move. She had half a mind to just punch him and run. When he still showed no sign of moving, she took a step forward and tried to shove past him. As she did, she looked out the door of the bus and saw Nathan and his mates leaning against the side of their car, trying to look cool. She caught his eye. He ambled over to the bus and stepped onto the first step.  
"She's taken." He informed the bullies in a cool tone. Realising what he was implying, Jess made a face behind the bully's back. Ignoring her, Nathan continued his act.   
"C'mon babe," said Nathan, grabbing her hand, "Let's get outta here." The bullies could do nothing as they stepped off the bus together. As soon as they were out of sight, Jessica promptly pretended to spew up into the bushes.  
"Eew! Me? Your... GIRLFRIEND?!!" Nathan just burst out laughing uncontrollably. Jess raised an eyebrow at him.   
"Well, thanks for... uh... 'rescuing' me," she said, her voice full of sarcasm, "but next time... try to get me a better boyfriend!"  
Nathan just grinned.  
*****  
  
Author's Notes: Sorry if it's a bit short and has no action. I suppose it's more of a prologue. More chapters to come so check back soon!  
  



	2. Trapped

Author's Notes: If you have read my 'ChickFlick' story very recently, you will know that I WILL BE ON HOLDAYS (yay!) from the 4th July to the 4th August (Australian time). Obviously I will not be able to update while I am away, but I will add chapters to this story as soon as I get back, I promise!  
  
  
Past Lives - Chapter 2  
  
Jessica turned off the walking machine and walked over to where her brother Nathan was lifting weights.  
"Let's go have a round." She said to him. "The mats are free." Nathan rested the weights on his chest as he replied.  
"Yeah, ok. We do need practice for the competition."  
They walked over and faced each other on the training mats, in their fighting stances.  
"I'm gonna kick your butt!" scoffed Nathan.  
"Not today, bro." Almost before she had finished speaking, Jess leapt forward. They always had a good round when they trained against each other, because they were almost exactly even in strength and skill. The winner was usually based on chance. Today Jessica happened to be victorious.  
"Hah!" said Nathan as they were packing up to leave, "That was a fluke. I'll beat you tomorrow!" Jessica just smiled calmly at him. She knew that got on his nerves.  
As they were about to go, Nathan saw a flicker out of the corner of his eye. He turned to face the window on the opposite side of the room.  
"Hey, sis... did you see that?"  
"What?" she asked, turning around.  
"Someone was looking in that window just then, but when I turned around they ran away." Jessica just shrugged.  
"Probably just a passer-by." She said, already having dismissed the matter. "C'mon, let's go."  
Nathan nodded, and forgot about it. But over the next week, leading up to the martial arts competition that he and his sister were about to enter, he kept getting the feeling that he was being watched...  
*****  
Because of their training for the competition, their schoolwork got neglected a bit. [sounds like me...:)] But it was worth it when the day finally came. Since there was a different section for boys and girls, the twins didn't have to face each other. In the lower rounds, the twins' opponents got knocked out easily, and in the higher rounds it only took a little while.  
The boys final was first. Jessica opened her mouth to wish Nathan good luck, but he cut her off.  
"Don't wish me luck," he said, smirking, "I won't need it." Jessica hit him playfully and shoved him out onto the fighting mats. The fight only lasted five minutes. Nathan (of course) came out victorious. The announcer handed him the trophy and held up Nathan's arm for applause. Nathan looked very smug. Catching his eye from the audience, Jessica rolled her eyes and silently mouthed:  
"Oh please."  
Next was the girls final. It was Jessica against a tall brunet girl. Their fight only lasted five minutes as well. Now it was Nathan's turn to be disgusted as Jessica accepted the trophy, soaking up the applause. When they were both seated in the audience again, to hear the closing speeches, they high-fived each other, and Jessica said in an uncaring voice  
"Ah, another day, another victory..." Nathan just smirked in agreement.  
After the speeches were over, they packed up to go home. The competition had run late and it was completely dark outside. Nathan felt a prickling on his neck, like someone was watching him. He turned around suspiciously, but there was no one there. Shrugging off his feeling, he and Jessica left to walk home. They yawned all the way.  
"Geez, I'm tired!" said Jessica, stifling another huge yawn.  
"Me too." Said Nathan." Hey, I know. We can cut down this alleyway, it comes out into our street."  
"Ok," Agreed Jessica, "anything so I can get home quickly and collapse."  
The alleyway was very dark and skinny, with high walls on either side. Piles of trash lined its edges. But the twins didn't care about its dangerous atmosphere. They knew they could take on anything that came their way. They walked with an air of confidence. But when Nathan heard a scuffling sound behind him, quiet as a whisper, he immediately quickened his pace without looking round. Jessica matched him step for step. Apart from the sounds of their footsteps, the air was dead silent. With the prompting of their instincts, they broke into a slow run at the same time. Suddenly there was a short, fat figure in front of them, blocking their way. Breathing hard, they whirled around to run back the way they had come. Jessica gasped. There was another figure, a tall skinny one. They were trapped!  
In the dim light, they could see both faces grinning evilly as they closed in. The twins moved into fighting stances.  
"You obviously don't know who we are." Bragged Nathan, in an attempt to stop their steady advance.  
"Oh, we do!" said the tall skinny one, his grin still on his face. "We know exactly who you are. Jessica and Nathan," he said stressing their names, "Your destiny is with me. I will give you more power than some little martial arts trophy will ever give you!"  
The two dark figures darted forward at the same moment. Jessica and Nathan tried to dodge, but their enemies seemed to have super-human powers. Nathan, grappling with the tall thin one, went into attack mode. His hard fist connected with the man's face. Stunned, he heard the clash of skin against metal in the air. He looked in amazement at his fist, which was throbbing with pain. The tall figure was unaffected by his punch. It wrestled Nathan's arms behind his back with an iron grip, standing calmly against his struggles, which were growing more frantic by the second.   
Jessica was having an equally hard time with the fat one. 'These people... these things... they can't be human. They can't be!' She was also starting to panic. In a strong, fluid movement, the figure reached out and twisted her arms behind her back viciously. As Nathan heard her cry out in pain, anger rose sharply within him. Who were these people?! How dare they do that to his sister?! Even though he knew his sister was just as strong as him, he had always felt a strange desire to protect her.  
But then, both Jessica and Nathan felt fingers dig into the nerves in their neck, and everything instantly turned into blackness before their eyes. When they awoke much later, all they could remember was the vague feeling of flying through the air incredibly fast...  
*****  
  
  
Author's Notes: Ooooh... exciting chapter! (At least I think it was). It was exciting to write, anyway. I hope you enjoyed it. Hopefully the next chapter will come out soon.  
  
  
  



	3. Strange Questions

Past Lives - Chapter 2  
  
When Nathan awoke and opened his eyes, he thought that he must be dead. The air around him was completely black and his body felt weak all over. 'Have I gone blind?!' he thought, starting to panic. A little of what had happened came seeping back into his brain as he heard something stirring in the darkness beside him. Someone groaned, and a hesitating voice called  
"N... Nathan?"  
"Jess? Are you ok?!"  
"I think so... I just woke up."  
"Me too."  
"Where are we? How did we get here?"  
"I have absolutely no idea."  
Their eyes slowly started to adjust to the darkness. On the other side of the room they could faintly see the outline of a door. One hand to her aching head, Jessica got up and stumbled over to it. Nathan joined her. There was no handle on this side, and when they pushed against it it didn't even budge.   
"I think we're locked in." he said flatly, going back to sit against the wall again. Jessica sat down beside him and shivered.  
"What's going to happen to us?" she asked him in a barely audible whisper. He just put one arm around her shoulders. There was nothing he could say.  
*****  
A loud creaking noise rang through the air, and light suddenly flooded the cell. In unison, the twins' heads shot up. There had been silence for quite some time now. They saw who it was and cringed back. It was one of the figures who had captured them; the short, fat one. In the light that was coming through the door, they could finally make out some features. He was the weirdest guy they had ever seen. His skin was completely white and he had round pink dots on each cheek. Jess noticed that there were red sort of balls embedded in the palms of his hands.  
"What do you want?" asked Nathan bravely, as they both leapt to their feet.  
"One of you will come with me." He said in a weird girly voice, smiling. He ambled over, and before she could react, he had grabbed Jessica's arm with a grip like iron. She tried to struggle free but he twisted her arm and pulled her towards the door. As she cried out in pain, Nathan leapt to her aid. Almost carelessly, the fat guy drew back an arm and smashed Nathan into the wall. Jessica screamed again, but not in pain this time.  
"NATHAN!!!" The white-faced guy continued to smirk as he hoisted her over his shoulder and started towards the door.  
"PUT ME DOWN YOU FAT LUMP OF LARD!!!" Yelled Jessica, beating on his back with her fists. As she was carried through the door of the cell, she heard him say mockingly:  
"Wow. That almost hurts." Jessica growled and continued to struggle. He slammed the door on Nathan as he leapt up to follow his sister. Locked in darkness once more, Nathan smashed the door once with his fists in frustration and defeat. What were they going to do with her? He could hear her screams getting softer as she was carried further and further away.  
Jessica was carried down a short passageway into a large room, struggling all the way. The walls were made of rock and dirt and it seemed to be underground. It was obviously a lab; complicated equipment lay all over a work bench, and two other tables stood in the corner. They looked like they were waiting for something. Other high-tech computers etc were crammed like sardines into the room.  
In the centre, Jess could see a huge mop of white hair which belonged to the tall, skinny figure. Despite everything, her fashion sense still managed to note that this guy REALLY needed a hair cut. Hearing his partner enter, Doctor Gero, (for that's who he was, of course), spun around in his chair and observed the struggling teenager with calm eyes.  
"She has a good fighting spirit." He said, grinning maliciously.  
"LET ME GO!!!" Ignoring her, he pulled forward a chair and picked up a length of rope from his desk.  
"Am I right in thinking that you are never going to answer my questions quietly?"  
"You betcha." Jessica snarled back at him. He smiled slightly, stretching the rope between his two bony hands. Dr Gero gave a curt nod to Android 19, who was still holding tightly to Jessica's arms to prevent her from escaping. Unceremoniously, he dumped her in a metal seat that was sitting beside Dr Gero's working chair. Not even flinching, he held her in place while Dr Gero used the rope to tie her tightly to her chair. When he had finished she could hardly move a muscle.  
"Now," he said settling back in his chair, "let us begin. How many years have you been working on your fighting skills?" 'What the hell?!' thought Jess in confusion, 'why does HE care?!' She couldn't see any harm in the question, but because she was stubborn she didn't answer him anyway. He leaned forward and slapped her sharply across her cheek. She held back a cry of pain and bit her lip as her eyes watered like crazy.  
"That might teach you to be a little more co-operative." He said coldly. Jessica just gaped at him. Then he kept questioning her, about all kinds of obscure topics, but mainly based on her fighting skills. She wouldn't answer him. The sharp sound of his slaps resounded throughout the room. After a while she gave in, and as she couldn't see any harm in his questions, she answered them dispiritedly.  
Back in the cell, Nathan stood transfixed in horror by the door, listening to the sound of slaps and his sister's cries of pain. He wanted to throw something but the room was completely bare; he wanted to strangle someone, but the only person in the room was him; he wanted to kick something, but he knew the wall was so solid that he would just hurt his foot. And so he just stood, helpless.   
After about half an hour, Dr Gero gave a curt nod to Android 19, signalling that the interrogation was over. Without a word, #19 untied the rope that was binding Jess to the chair and dragged her back to the cell. He opened the door, pushed her roughly in and had dragged Nathan out before they could say a single word to each other. Then it was Jessica's turn to listen in horror as Dr Gero went through exactly the same process with her brother. Another half an hour later when Nathan was pushed, stumbling, into the cell, they said nothing to each other. They just stood in the centre of the room and hugged each other tightly for a long time, screwing up their eyes as if they could make this nightmare go away.  
*****  
  
  
Author's Notes: I know this is really REALLY short but I wanted to get it out as soon as possible, coz what with being on holidays and fanfiction going offline, I haven't updated this story for aaaaaaaaages. PLEASE REVIEW!!!   



	4. Testing in the Lab

Well everybody, I don't know if I am going to continue this story or not. I probably will, coz I don't like to leave things unfinished, but... If you really want me to continue, PLEASE REVIEW! Thankyou and have a nice day. (hmmm... where did THAT come from?!) Aaaanyways...  
  
Past Lives Chapter 4  
  
After spending a cold and sleepless night in their *cell*, (SEE BOTTOM OF PAGE!), Jess and Nathan were brought into the lab again the next day. This time they were both together. They were gagged so that they 'wouldn't disturb Dr Gero's thinking with all their irritating talking and screaming'. They were both tied down into chairs and connected to lots of tubes and wires etc, while Dr Gero ran all sorts of tests on them. He measured their pulse-rates, took samples of their blood, tested their reflexes, eyesight, hearing, strength, and many other things besides. This went on for more than an hour.  
Then finally Dr Gero examined them through his cold eyes.   
"I suppose it would be courteous of me to give them a chance to ask me any questions they might have. After all, they ARE going to be a very important part in my plan, and they should know what kind of fame and glory they are going to experience. Nineteen, remove their gags so they may talk freely."  
#19 moved forward instantly to do his bidding. Jess thought about screaming the minute her gag was removed, but inside herself she knew that there was no point. No one would hear her. She contented herself with glaring angrily at her two captors. Nathan, also glaring, spoke up first.  
"Okay. I'm glad you've decided to show a glimmer of decency. So why did you kidnap me and my sister?" His voice was icy. Dr Gero sighed in annoyance, but his irritation didn't seem to be directed at Nathan.  
"Out of all the pathetic creatures in this part of the world, you two had the most potential. Which isn't saying much for your species." He sneered. "Apart from your fighting abilities, you also have the right sort of fighting spirit."  
The way he talked about 'their species' finally made Jessica understand.  
"You... you aren't human!" she muttered, her eyes wide. Nathan was also beginning to realise this fact.  
"Of course not. How could you possibly have believed that I was one of YOU?!" He scoffed. "I am Dr Gero, and this is Android #19." Jessica gasped.  
"I've heard of you before! You used to be famous, and then you mysteriously disappeared! What happened?"  
"I wanted something that no mere mortal could possibly have; immortality would allow me to continue my inventing for as long as I wanted. And so, with #19's help, I turned myself into an android." He removed the tall black hat from his head, and Jessica and Nathan both looked with revulsion at what was underneath. The Doctor's exposed brain was covered with a dome-like piece of glass (or plastic or whatever).  
"Well, what are you going to do to us?!" Asked Jess when she regained her composure.  
"I was only waiting for you to ask." He replied with a grim smile. "I need some powerful fighters to help me with my plans. But no human would be capable of the things which I need someone to do. So, rather than build two new androids completely from a scratch, I am going to use a human basis for my work. This will also allow the androids to move around freely in human societies. You are the chosen two. You will soon become androids like #19 and myself. You should consider yourselves lucky!" He started raving.  
"You are unworthy subjects for the power I am able to give you! But soon... soon..." his eyes gleamed, "You will be nothing! NOTHING!!! For you see, I am only using your bodies, not your minds. You will be like empty shells, incapable even of remembering your own names!" His eyes narrowed. "I hope you have enjoyed your last days as human beings; you won't experience very many after I'M through with you!!!" He cackled like a maniac.  
"Now for the final test, #19!" #19 giggled his stupid little girly giggle as he gagged Jessica and Nathan's pale faces. He tied their wrists together behind their backs, then tied their ankles together. He then dragged them over to a small clearing in the room between the desks. On the ceiling above the empty space there were two large hooks. From the ground, Jess and Nathan watched in amazement as his feet left the floor. He was flying! He levitated upwards and grasped the two hooks firmly, pulling them down after him as her returned to the ground. They were connected to the ceiling by a length of thick steel wire.   
The spare length of rope that came from their bound ankles was secured firmly onto the hooks while the twins were still lying on the floor. Walking over to the closest machine, #19 cranked a big handle that was sticking out the side of it. Slowly, the steel wire receded back to the roof and Jessica and Nathan were soon hanging upside down about a metre off the floor. They struggled, of course, but there wasn't really much that they could do. They could hear Dr Gero muttering to himself, and from that they could gather that he was testing them to see how long it took them to pass out.*  
Within just 30 seconds, both of the twins could feel the blood rushing to their heads. In a few minutes, Jessica could see her eyes clouding over with a deep red mistiness. Just as she passed out, she could see Nathan's writhing body in its effort to free itself. She was in agony; not physical but mental. To see herself and her brother manipulated like this, like lab experiments or playthings, by a couple of uncaring robots, was more than she could bare.  
  
  
*****  
AN: Well I know that was a pretty short chapter, but what with ff being rebuilt I wanted to get this up as soon as possible. Hope you enjoy.  
P.S. I hope you are not expecting a happy ending to this story. it is going to be fairly depressing. But just remember this little saying: 'Everything has a happy ending. If it's not happy, then it's not the end.' :)  
  
*cell*= This was not an intentional pun...  
  
* = This probably has no basis in scientific fact, but I don't care. Now you see why I fail all my science exams!  



	5. The Beginning of the End

Wow, it's been a loooooooong time, but this is it folks, the final chapter (I think...) if you want to read more after this, I will (hopefully) soon get around to writing the sequel to this which will be a K/18. Ok, so it won't exactly be a sequel in the sense that you don't have to read this one first to understand the story, but it does sort of continue on a bit. BTW, sorry if this chapter is REALLY REALLY short, but I can't write past the end of the story, so...yeah. Well, that's it for now, and when you've finished you can go read my other stories! And as always, please REVIEW!!! *winkwink* :)  
  
Past Lives Chapter 4  
  
Time seemed to slip away for the twins. The eternal darkness in the room where they were imprisoned meant that they could not tell when day passed into night. They had no idea how long they waited for something, anything, to happen. The only time the darkness was lessened was when #19 would give them their food for the day; then a thin shaft of sickly-looking light would filter through the flap for a second, until his hand would disappear and he would walk away without a word to them, leaving their 'meal' (if you could call it that) on the floor.  
Jess and Nathan knew that they didn't have much time left. They passed away the hours by just sitting close to each other, leaning their backs against the cold, hard stone wall, talking and talking. They talked about everything that had ever happened to them. They somehow felt that if they could just bring all of these memories to the surface of their minds, then maybe they would remember them, remember who they were. But deep down inside, they didn't have much hope left.  
It could have been days, weeks or even years later when Jessica murmured to her brother:  
"Do you think it's true? Do you think he WILL take away our souls?"  
Nathan sat silent for a moment, and Jess thought that he wasn't going to answer. But then he turned towards her suddenly and said  
"No. No. He can't. Jess, there is nothing, no invention, no machine that can take away someone's soul." He grabbed at her hands and held them tightly. She could almost see his eyes burning through the darkness. "He can't take us away from ourselves. No matter what happens, promise me that we'll never lose ourselves. We might forget who we are, but we have to remember that we ARE real, not just some rusty bunch of tin and metal. We have to keep our soul's. Will you promise me, Jess?"  
She tried to hold back her tears.  
"I promise."  
*****  
Suddenly the door boomed open, the sound echoing around the walls like the herald of doom. The light flooding the room after so many hours in darkness made them shield their eyes with their hands. It was #19 again, and soon the were forced into the lab to stand trembling before Dr Gero. They were strapped down onto the two tables which they remembered from before; the ones that had looked like they were waiting for something. Well, now they knew; these were their 'operating tables'. Even as Dr Gero approached them with an injection filled with a chemical that would make them unconcious, they twisted their heads in their bonds to catch one last glimpse of each other before the end. Not a word was spoken, it was too late for that. But their eyes, each icy blue set so much like the other, reinforced their promise: They would never forget.  
And then, for the last time that they could remember, everything went black.  
*****  
THE END  
  
AN: Waaaaaaaah!!!!! SADNESS!!! ;( aawww... I feel mean now. But then again... YAY!!! This is the first fanfic story (with more than one chapter) I have ever actually finished!!! Hmmm... is it just me or did this chapter seem to be a whole lot better quality than the others? Anyway, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! :) 


End file.
